Associated Press file photo"You might as well make it right now and give people more time to prepare," Mayor Bloomberg said of closing public schools.NEW YORK -- New York City is bracing for a blast of winter weather, closing public schools and preparing plows and salt spreaders ahead of a predicted snowstorm.

Forecasts call for about 8 to 13 inches of snow across the New York metropolitan region tomorrow, along with strong winds.

The potential snowfall prompted officials to take the unusual step of canceling school for Wednesday for the 1.1 million students in the public school system. Snow days are rare, with the last two coming on March 2, 2009, and Jan. 28, 2004.

The Archdiocese also closed Catholic schools on Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx Wednesday as well.

Wagner College, the College of Staten Island and St. John's University also announced classes were canceled tomorrow. And in a message on its Web site, Staten Island Academy announced school was closed on Wednesday.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city decided early so parents could have time to make alternative plans.

"You might as well make it right now and give people more time to prepare," he said.

Bloomberg said officials also want to avoid exposing students to the possible blizzard-like conditions forecast for the afternoon. It is easier on families to close school for the day rather than let children leave early, he said.

The early timing of the decision to close school was in contrast to the 2009 snow day. Bloomberg's administration decided relatively late -- 5:39 a.m. -- to call the snow day, prompting a last-minute scramble and complaints from parents and teachers, some of whom said they were not even aware that school was canceled.

Though schools will be closed, Bloomberg said city agencies would be open and that employees should show up to work.

He called on commuters to rely on mass transit instead of driving and warned anyone considering getting behind the wheel, "You're going to be stuck on the roads for who knows how long."